File.



A. T. NISWANGER.

FILE.

APPLlCATlON FILED NOV.13, i916. 1,246,531 0. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

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A T. NISWANGER FILE.

APPUCATION FILED NOV. 13, 19I6- 1 246,3 1 0. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Account Record Pwfcssionalscrvicc Date Am! III: Data Am"! -17 -1s- 1 '21 16 22 14 TOTAL?- Name Street and "umber rat Fig.3

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UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST '1. NISWANGER OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO LYMAN W. ELICKER. OF COLUMBUS OHIO.

FILE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed November 13, 1916. Serial No. 130,940.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, AUGUST T. NIS- wnxenn, a citizen of the United States, re-. siding at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Files, of which the followin is a specification. v

This invention re ates to filesdesigned for use particularly in connection with professional men. By the use of my file, the user may at all times have a ready-record ofall services rendered, together with the amounts paid by the individuals, or a record of the various attempts made to obtain'payments from such individuals.

To this end, the main object of my invention resides in the combination with a cabinet having a plurality of compartments therein, of a series of various indexes numerically and alphabetically arranged in which the account cards may be placed as oc casion demands.

My invention and its prime objects andnovel features will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying sheets of drawings, which represent it in its preferred form. In these several sheets, similarcharacters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout all the views and- Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a file box constructed in accordance with. my invention and shown in open posi tion.

Fig. 2 is a face view of one side of the account cards used by me, and,

Fig. 3 is a face view of the reverse side of the account card shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1, there is shown a box body 1 which is divided, by means of cross partitions 2, into a series of compartments numbered 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, S, 9, 19 and 11. To this box there is also hingedly mounted, as

' shown at 12, a lid 13 which, when the file'is compartment 10, the name and address and time of appointment is placed thereonand this card is then filed between the numerically arranged index cards located within the compartment 11 under the proper date. After the service has been rendered, one of the account cards 14 is taken from the compartment 9. Each of these account cards is ruled or lined on one face as is shown in Fig. 2 and the opposite side is ruled or lined as shown in Fig. 3. r The patients name and address is placed upon the faceshown in Fig. 3 and upon the face shown in Fig. 2, the date of service is recorded, in the columns designated 15 and 16. A brief statement of the service rendered'is placed in the column 17 and the date the service is rendered is placed inthe column 18. In the columns 19 and 20the amount of charge is entered, while the columns 21, 22 and 23 are'for the purpose of receiving both the date and the amountthe patient has remitted. After the service has been rendered, should the patient fail to pay for the services rendered, the account card is placed underthe proper letter in the alphabetically arranged index cards located in the compartment 3. After this card has remained in this compartment for a given time, or for a timein which the physician-deems sufficient to" have enabled the patient to pay, the form letter located between the index cards numbered 1 and 2 in thecompartment 4. is removed and mailed to the patient. This form letter simply requests payment for services rendered, on a given date, and requestsv payment within so many days. vThe date of mailing of this letter is then placed on the face of the card shown in Fig. 3 under the heading First series letters. The remaining sets of form letters in the compartment -l, all request pay-. ment but become more insistent, until finally number 5 may threaten court proceedings. If it is necessary to mail each of these, the dates on. whichthey are mailed are all entered under first series letters on the account card in the spaces indicated thereon.

Each time one of these form letters is ma1led, the account card is placed say, ten,

days ahead of the mailing, but in the compartment 5 under the properly dated index card. The cards in the compartment 5 are all numerically arranged toagree with the number of dates in the month and thus should ten days be given in which to pay an account, and this notice mailed on the 15th,

notation of this is made on the account card 7 After mailing one or two of the first series form letters, should the patient promise to pay, a notation of this is made under the heading Promise to pay as shown inFig. 3. The account card is then removed from either of the compartments 3 or 5 and placed in the compartment 7, which also consists of a plurality of index cards numerically arranged. The account card is placed under the proper date in this compartment 7 and should the patient fail to pay on the promise date, the first of the form letters in compartment 6, known as promise to pay letters, is mailed to him. This compartment also contains five sets of different types of letters, calling attention to the fact that promise to pay was made, but no remittance has been received and requesting a settlement. As in the case of the first series letters, number 5 promise to pay letter also threatens court proceedings or some similar action, but should these form letters fail to bring payment, the account card then is removed from the compartment 7 and placed in the compartment 8 under the proper letter and known as the dead letter file. These accounts may then be disposed of as the I physician deems best.

pointment blank cards and Appointment record file respectively. In this manner, the party using my file may at all times have a clear understanding of the condition of his business. This file is particularly adapted for professional services, so that upon arriving at the office in the morning, the appointment record file is first examined under that date. The account record may then be ex amined and should it be found that certain of the accounts have been of long standing, the first series letters may be started. Under the same date, the cards found in the first series letters mailing file andpromise to pay letters mailing file are also examined I and additional form letters sent out and the l glance the amount due at all times.

What I claim, is:

1. A professional file comprising a box di vided into a plurality of compartments, a plurality of account cards, a plurality of alphabetically arranged index cards in one of said compartments for receiving said account cards, a plurality of numerically arranged index cards in another of said compartments for receiving the account cards from said account card compartment after notification, and a second plurality of numerically arranged index cards in the third of said compartments for receiving the account cards from either of said first two named compartments after a promise to pay has been received. 7

2. A professional file comprising a box divided into'a plurality of compartments, a plurality of alphabetically arranged index cards in one of said compartments and two sets of numerically arranged index cards in two other of said compartments, the first named compartment being labeled Account record and the next two First series letters mailing file and Promise to pay letters mailing file, and a. v plurality of account cards adapted to be transferred from one to the other of said compartments. 7

'3. A professional file comprising a box divided into a plurality of compartments, a plurality of alphabetically arranged index cards in one of said compartments and two sets of numerically arranged index cards in two other of said compartments, a plurality of sets of different types of form letters known as first series letters in a fourth of said compartments, a plurality of sets of different types of form letters known as promise to pay letters in a fifthof said compartments, and a plurality of account cards.

4. A professional file comprising a box divided into a plurality of compartments, a plurality of alphabetically arranged index cards in one of said compartments and 'two sets of numerically arranged index cards in two other of said compartments, a plurality of sets of different types of form letters known as the first series letters in a fourth of said compartments, a plurality of sets of different types of form letters known as promise to pay letters in a fifth of said compartments,and a plurality of account cards, said cards being lined to present. spaces agreeing in number to the different types of both sets of form letters to accommodate the dates at which they are mailed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of'two witnesses.

AUGUST T. NISW'ANGER.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. L. Boox, V A. L. PHELPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five'cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

